General Notes: According to Welsh legend, the Emperor Magnus Maximus, known as Macsen Wledig (the Imperator), was a widowed senator living in Rome. Being a minor member of the Constantinian Imperial family, he felt it unjust that the Empire was ruled by the Emperors, Gratian & Valentinian, but there was little he could do about it.

In about 365, Maximus was out hunting one day when he rested beneath a tree and fell asleep. He had a long dream about a palace far away. He entered the palace and encountered an ageing King and two young men playing chess. Turning, his eyes met the most beautiful woman he could ever have imagined, sitting on a golden throne. On waking, Maximus immediately sought out a local oracle who urged him to search out this beautiful maiden. So messengers were sent out across the Empire but, dispite exhaustive searches, all returned empty handed. There was no sign of Maximus' beauty.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Empire, High-King Eudaf Hen of Britain was getting very old. He decided it was time to appoint his official heir to the British Kingdom. His nephew, Conan Meriadoc, was perhaps the most obvious choice, though the King's direct heir was his only daughter, Elen. Eudaf's chief advisor, Caradoc, the King of Dumnonia, advocated strengthening Roman links by marrying Elen to a man with Imperial connections. The two could then inherit the Kingdom together. He knew of such a steady young man in Rome who would make an ideal husband. Eudaf was intrigued. So had Caradoc send his son, Mauric, to seek this Roman out.

Mauric arrived in Rome at the house of Magnus Maximus, just as he had received the unfortunate news that his dream girl could not be found. Glad of the distraction and persuaded by Mauric's suggestion that he might find support in Britain for his Imperial claims, Maximus gladly agreed to return with him. Comes Theodosius' historical expedition to Britain in order to quell barbarian risings actually brought Magnus Maximus to these shores in 368. Legend tells how the arrival on the island of a large army of men caused quite a stir and, not realising who it was, Eudaf sent Conan with an army to disperse them. Fortunately, Mauric persuaded all of their good intentions and Maximus was able to ride off to Eudaf's court at Carnarfon (Caer-yn-Arfon alias Caer-Segeint).

Upon being introduced to everyone, Maximus was astounded to find that Eudaf was the old man in his dream and Conan, one of the chess-players (some say the other was his son, Cadfan). He was then overjoyed to find that Eudaf's daughter, Elen, was his dream-girl. The two fell in love immediately and were married with great pomp and ceremony.

Eudaf died soon afterward, and Maximus and Elen inherited his Kingdom. Conan was extremely annoyed and rode north to gather an army of Picts & Scots to overthrow them. However, Maximus defeated him and, being magnanimous in victory, the two made peace. Conan became Maximus' dearest friend and also his magister militum.

At this point, we return to more historic details. News reached Britain that Maximus' relative, Theodosius had been elevated to the Eastern Imperial throne. Incensed, Maximus invaded the Western Empire, in 383, along with his son Victorius and 'Prince' Conan. They withdrew troops from Carnarfon (Caer-Segeint) & elsewhere in Britain and his men quickly proclaimed Maximus as Emperor. His armies marched across the continent, establishing his rule as they went. Conan eventually killed the Western Emperor, Gratian, in battle (being given Brittany as a reward), and Maximus became sole ruler of the West.

Maximus set up his capital at Trier and ruled well over Britain, Gaul & Spain for four years. He was baptised a Christian, and was recognised as Emperor by Theodosius who was occupied with his own troubles elsewhere. Eventually however, Maximus was forced to make a move against Gratian's younger brother, Valentinian, the Southern Emperor, who threatened his rule from Rome. He invaded Italy, took Milan and for a whole year besieged Rome, before Conan arrived once more and finished the job. Unfortunately though, Valentinian escaped. He soon returned, backed up by the Roman Emperor of the East, Theodsoius. Maximus' forces were twice defeated at Illyricum, before he was finally killed, with his son, at Aquileia.

SourcesGeoffrey Ashe (1990) Mythology of the British Isles.Gildas Badonicus (c.540) The Ruin of Britain.Peter C. Bartrum (1993) A Welsh Classical Dictionary.A.H.M. Jones (1964) The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey.Geoffrey of Monmouth (1136) The History of the Kings of Britain.Nennius (c.829) The History of the Britons.The Red Book of Hergest (14th c.) The Dream of Macsen Wledig .William Smith & Henry Wace (1877) The Dictionary of Christian Biography.The White Book of Rhydderch (14th c.) The Dream of Macsen Wledig.

General Notes: Julia Caesaris, known in the sources as Julia Antonia, was the wife of Marcus Antonius Creticus and mother of Gaius, Lucius and Marcus Antonius, the triumvir. She was a cousin of Julius Caesar and through these family ties, her son's early military career was supported by Caesar. She married for the second time to Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, a politician involved in and executed during the Catiline conspiracy of 63 BC.3470

Constantius came from Naissus (modern Nis, Yugoslavia) in the province of Moesia. In 411, as magister militium ("master of the soldiers") under the western Roman emperor Flavius Honorius (reigned 393-423), Constantius helped to overthrow the usurping emperor Constantine (Flavius Claudius Constantinus) at Arelate (modern Arles, France). He drove the Visigoths from southern Gaul into Spain in 415 but later recalled the tribe and settled it in southwestern Gaul. In 417 he married the emperor's half sister Galla Placidia. Appointed co-emperor of the West by Honorius, with the title augustus, on 8 Feb 421, Constantius died without having been recognized by the eastern emperor, Theodosius II. Constantius' son by Placida ruled the West as the emperor Valentinian III from 425 to 455.

General Notes: Theodosius II (b. 10 April 401, Constantinople [now Istanbul, Turkey] - d. 28 July 450), Eastern Roman emperor from 408 to 450. He was a gentle, scholarly, easily dominated man who allowed his government to be run by a succession of relatives and ministers.

The son of the Eastern emperor Arcadius (reigned 383-408), he was made co-emperor in 402 and became sole ruler of the East upon his father's death in 408. At first the able Anthemius, praetorian prefect of the East, was regent for young Theodosius. Anethemius dropped out of sight in 414, when the emperor's sister, Pulcheria received the title augusta and assumed the regency. Throughout his reign, control of the government remained out of Theodosius' hands.

At various times during his reign, Theodosius sent armies against the Vandals of Africa, the Persians, and the Huns. His generals defeated Persian (Sasanian) invaders in 422 and 447, but campaigns against the Vandals, who had occupied most of Roman Africa in 429, ended in failure. Theodosius' policy of appeasing the mighty Hun leader Attila did not prevent massive Hun invasions of the Danube provinces in 441-442 and 447. His reign was also troubled by a dispute over the heretical doctrines of Nestorius, whom Theodosius appointed patriarch of Constantinople in 428. Nesorius was deposed by a church council in 431.

Theodosius' name is associated with three important projects. The first, erection of an impregnable wall around Constantinople (413), was actually the work of Anthemius. The emperor did, however, have a hand in founding the University of Constantinople in 425 and in supervising compilation of the Theodosian Code (published 438), which codified the laws issued after 312. Theodosius died from injuries suffered during a hunting accident. His daughter Licinia Eudoxia married the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III (reigned 425-455).

General Notes: Eudocia, original name Athenais (d. 20 Oct 460, Jerusalem), wife of the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II. She was a highly cultured woman who exercised great influence over her husband until her withdrawal from Constantinople.

Athenais, as she was then called, came from Athens, where her father, Leontius, was a pagan philosopher. Before she and Theodosius were married (in June 421), Athenais was baptized a Christian and changed her name to Eudocia. A year later she gave birth to a daughter, Licinia Eudoxia, who married (437) the Western emperor Valentinian II (reigned 425-455). In 438 Eudocia went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After a quarrel with Theodosius' influential sister Pulcheria, she returned to Jerusalem in 443 and remained there for the rest of her life, directing the rebuilding of that city's fortifications and the construction of several splendid churches.

Eudocia was sympathetic to Monophysitism - a heresy that maintained that Christ's human nature is absorbed in his divine nature - but she died an orthodox Christian. In addition to religious poetry she wrote a panegyric on the Roman victory over the Perians (422).

General Notes: SOURCES:Page 212 in Dawn of European civilization has Merovingian chart. Itdiffers a little from some others.

Cloderic is same as Childeric

"Rulers of the World" by R.F.TapsellBetween 458 and 480: Childeric I became the third King of the Franks in 458. He fought with the Roman Aegidius against the Wisigoths. When Agidius died in 464, he was succeeded by Count Paul. Childeric I's army helped Count Paul push back a Saxon advance from Angers around 466. Count Paul would die in 470. They had to repeat this feat around 475, after Count Paul had died and the Saxons once again had attempted to expand into Angers.

(Andre Castelot, Histoire de La France, Pages, 176, 200). Born: before 433, son of Merovee=Merovech, Prince des Francs and N?, Childeric I is presumed to have been at least 15 years of age by the time he succeeded his father in 448.